I jumped off the upgrade merry-go-round 20 years ago and adopted a system approach. Prior to that point I followed the piecemeal upgrade/sidegrade method of buying kits and used gear here and there hoping for some synergy and magic. In the mid 80’s, when I had a real job, I stopped in a high-end audio salon for the first time and had a reality check. Yeah, the prices were high but so was the wow factor.
I spent a lot of time listening, comparing, and deciding what kind of sound I wanted and which components gave me what I was looking for. Over the next year I put together the system of my dreams. It was a financial stretch but I kept that system for a dozen years. Seven years ago I felt it was time for a change. I was retired and in a much bigger house and had the wherewithal to indulge myself one last time. I spent two years reading, traveling, listening, and pondering. In late ’99, in Austin, TX, I heard what is essentially the system I have today. With the exception of the DAC, I won’t be making any changes in the foreseeable future; I am designing and will build my own ultimate DAC.
In retrospect, I see the piecemeal upgrade approach kept me locked in the early choices I made. For example, I started out with a used receiver that was somewhat challenged in the area of high and low frequencies. The speakers I choose compensated for the receiver’s shortcomings. That made it difficult to replace either with something more neutral without highlighting the faults of the other. It also was impossible to make a paradigm shift, like from low-eff planars to hi-eff horns, one component at a time and still maintain a balanced system.
I guess some people love the excitement of braking-in a new piece of audio gear every month; that’s not for me.
